Tubular-fabric-forming machine



oct. 4, 1927.

J. E. FEFEL TUBULARFARIC Fomvmmv MACHINE Filed March 20, 1925 "ssheets-sheet 1 INI/Elon. .Elin/E'. Fe e BY f V Oct. 4, 1.927.

J. E. FEFEL TUBULAR FABRIC FORMING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March20, 1925 Ill Il .mmm m m w\WN .y INVENToR. y u Jwmejw BY s w .SN Y

A TTRNEYS.

Oct' 4 1927' J. E. FEI-EL TUBULAR FABRIC FORMING MACHINE Ml MT1 YINVENIOR.'

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the needle, and through which it passes downwardly through the guidemember 16.

The threads from the several needles are carried about a feed drum 35,to which the central aXis of the member 16 is tangential, and from Saiddrum to a receiving spool or reel 36. The respective shafts 37 and 38 ofthe drum and spool are mounted in suitable bearings, and are provided atone end with pulleys 39 and 40, over which an endless friction driveslip belt 41 is engaged, and at its other end the shaft 37 is providedwith a spiral gear 42 meshing with a worm 43 provided upon one end of ashaft 44 journaled in a bearing portion 45 of the frame, and provided atits other end with a gear 46 meshing with the drive gear 18. 'lhus` asthe drive gear simultaneously rotates the several needle crank shafts itdrives the feed drum in synchronism therewith, the ratio of the speed ofthe feed drum to the operation of the needles being determined by thepitch of the worm, so that by changing the pitch the relative speed maybe regulated, as desired, and the closeness or looeness of the fabricdetermined.

As the fabric is formed, as will hereinafter more fully appear, itpasses about the feed drum 35 and is wound upon the spool 36, theslippage permitted by the friction belt drive compensating for thegrowing diameters as the fabric is Wound thereon.

The machine is preferably powered by an electric motor driven beveldrive gear 47, meshing with a bevel gear 48 mounted on a shaft 49 and towhich a spur gear 50 is keyed and meshes with the pinion gear 18. Itwill be understood that the drive may be directly on the large gear 17,or at any other desiredv point.

The operation is as follows: The needles are successively reciprocated,so that each passes beneath the preceding needle and through the loop ofits thread. This is due to the inclination of the beds upon which theslides are mounted. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3 to 7, the order of theneedles is indicated as ct, Z), c and cl, Fig. 3 showing the beginningof the fabric forming operation at the point where the needle a isprojected above the needle and the latter needle has started through theloop of the needle a. The needle Z) continues its projecting movement toa point beyond the line of movement of the needle c, the point of whichin its fully retracted position is clear of the line of movement of theneedle The needle c now starts on its projecting movement, (Fig. 4), andsimultaneously the needle a is retracted drawing its thread over theneedle Z). rIhe needle Z now moves beneath the needle c, and the needleI) moves in. retracting direction, drawing its thread over the needle 0and beneath the thread of the needle a, thus forming` the first threadloop (Fig. As the needle d reaches its fully projected position, itsthread passing overthe thread of the needle a, t-he needle a starts itsprojecting movement beneath the needle CZ, looping the thread of needlea about the thread of needle cl, forming the second thread loop, and asthe needle o is retracted drawing its thread over the needle d and underthe thread of the needle t, forming the third thread loop (Fig. 6). Asneedle Z) starts beneath the projected needle a, needle l is retracted,drawing its thread over needle t and beneath thel thread of needle c,forming the fourth thread loop,` the complete cycle being performed as'the needle a is retracted, drawing its thread over the needle Z) andunder the thread of the needle el, (Fig. 7 As the threads are feddownwardly by the feed drum, and the needles continue their operation acontinuous tubular fabric is produced, and by controlling the relativespeed of the feed the tightness of the knitting may be determined, .asdesired..

In Fig. 8 there shown a section of the tubular fabric as produced bythe' four needle machine. about a wire or cord as a covering, as shownin F ig. 9, by feeding a wire or cord downwardly through the member 16and about the feed drum simultaneously with the knit ting operation; ora niulti-layer tube may be produced by arranging two or more of themachines in line. and feeding the product of one through the other, sothat the latter forms a tube about the tube formed by the former.

In Fig. 11 I have illustrated a machine in which eight needles areemployed, their axes of reciprocation being tangential to an imaginarycircle concentric to the passage through the frame. The product of thismachine is illustrated Vin Fig. 12. It will be understood that anydesired number of needles may be employed to produce tubular fabric ofany size or type, it being proposed, for instance, to form tubularbraid, neck-ties, sweaters, or other forms of tubular fabrics.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodimentsof the invention, but it will be obvious that .changes may be madetherein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. In a tubular'fabric forming machine, a plurality of reciprocatingneedles arranged about a common axis, each of said needles having an eyethrough which a thread is adapted to pass, and means for reciprocatingsaid needles, whereby each succeeding needle passes through the threadloop of a preceding needleA f f. La

yIhe tube may be woven llO rieur-ne to each needle, means forreciprocating said needles, wherebyV reach succeeding vneedle passesthrough the rthread ,loop df a preceding needle, and continuous feedingim'eans -for feeding said vthreads from -said thread supplying meansthrough the needle eyes.

' 4f. `ln 'a tubular fabric forming imadhine, a plurality fofvrecip'rocating needles arranged about a Jcommonv axis, each of -said.needles having an eye lthrough `Ywhich ya thread is adaptedAto;pass,-and jmeans for Vreciprocating saidfnee'dles, whereby eachsucceeding Aneedle passes y beneath Iand through 'the thread loop '.Of fa preceding needle. i

:5. In a'tLibiila-r Ifabric forming machine, a

plurality of reciprocating needles arranged about `'a jcommon axis,leach of said 'needles having :an eye through 'whih a thread Vis adapted1to pass, the axes of ireciprocation o'f said needles beingjarranged5t-angentiallyl to Nan imaginary circle concentric ftosaid common axis,and means for reciprocating said needles, Awhereby' 'each' succeedingneedle passes through the thread loop of apreceding needle.

6. In a tubular fabric forming machine, a plurality of reciprocatingneedles arranged about a common axis, each of said needles having an eyethrough which a thread is adapted to pass, the axes of reciprocation ofsaid needles being arranged at an upward and inward inclination to saidcommon axis, and means for reciprocating said needles, whereby eachsucceeding needle passes through the thread loop of a preceding needle.

7. In a tubular fabric forming machine, a plurality of reciprocatingneedles arranged about a common axis, each of said needles having anleye through which a thread is adapted to pass, a gear for causing thereciprocation of said needles,'whereby each succeeding needle passesthrough the thread loop of a preceding needle, and fee-ding means forsaid threads geared to said gear and whereby the threads are fed insynchronism to the operation of said needles.

8. In a tubular fabric forming machine, a frame having a guide passagetherethrough, a plurality of reciprocating needles arranged at one sideof said frame about said passage,

'each Yof said needles fhaving an 4eye through which a thread isadaptedito pass, means zfor reciprocating-said needles, -wherebyeaohsucceeding needle passes lthrough the vthread loop of -a precedingneedle, and-feeding means Aarranged at the other si'deof said frame andadapted to 'feed lthe thread through said lpassage from said needles.

9. In Aa tubular `fabric forming machine, `a

vframehavinga guide Vpassage therethrough, i

a plurality O15-reciprocating needles arrange-d at onelside yof saidframe -aboutlsaid passage, and having `their axes of 'reciprocationVtangential Ato an imaginary Vcircle concentric fto the axis-offsaidfpassagafeachfo'f said needles having an eye through which athread iis adapted A1to pa-ss, mean-s for reciprocating said needles,whereby each succeeding needle passes f through the V thread 'loop of a-preceding needle, #and feeding-means arranged at the other side of saidframe and-adapted 'to Ifeed the thread through saidpassage `from.

said needles.

ll0. In a-tubu'lar -fabric Iforming machine, a -Yframe having la guidepassage {therethrough, a fplurality of needle *bars arranged (for-reciprocation 'at fone =side lof said -Sframe about said passage,Vrotary means zfor reciprocating said `needle lbars, meansforsimultaneously. rotatingsaid rotary lucana-needles carried-by `saidbars, Aeach having 'an eye through which ua thread is :adapted to pass,

each succeeding needle adapted during .re- 'ciprocation to pass through.the fthread -loop o'f a preceding needle, .andi-feeding means arrangedat the other side of said iframe and adaptedftoffeed-thefthreadsthrough.said

passage from said needles.

11. In a tubular lfabric forming machine, a frame havinv a guide passagetherethrough, a plura ity of needle bars arranged for reciprocation atone side of 'said frame about said passa e, rotary means forreciprocating said needle bars, and each including a gear, a singledrive gear meshing with the gears of said rotary means, whereby they aresimultaneously rotated, needles carried by said needle bars, each havingan eye through which a thread is adapted to pass, each succeeding needleadapted during reciprocation to pass through the thread loop of apreceding needle, and feeding means arranged at the other side of saidframe and adapted to feed the threads through said passage from saidneedles.

l2. In a tubular fabric forming machine, a frame having a guide passagetherethrough, a plurality of needle bars arranged for reciprocation atone side of said frame about said passage, rotary shafts for each ofsaid "bars, means carried by said shafts connected t0 said bars toreciprocate them, means for simultaneously rotating said shafts, needlescarried by said needle bars, each having an eye through which a threadflUU is adapted to pass, each succeeding needle adapted duringreciprocation to pass through the thread loop of apreceding needle, andfeeding means adapted to feed the threads through said passage from saidneedles.

13. In' a tubular fabric forming machine, a frame having a guide passagetherethrough, a plurality of reciprocatingneedles arranged at one sideof said frame about said passage, each of said needles having an eyethrough which a thread is adapted to pass, means for reciprocating saidneedles, whereby each succeeding needle passes through the thread loopof a preceding needle, and feeding means arranged at the other side ofsaid frame and geared to said needle reciprocating means, whereby saidfeeding means is operated in synchronism to said needles, said feedingmeans adapted to feed the threads through said passage .from saidneedles.

14. In a tubular fabric forming machine, a frame having a guide passagetherethrough, a plurality of reciprocating needles arranged at one sideof said frame about said passage, each of said needles having an eyethrough which a thread is adapted to pass, means for reciprocatinol saidneedles, whereby each succeedingy needle passes through the thread loopof a preceding needle, a feed drum to which the axis of said passage istangential and about which the threads pass through said passage fromsaid. needles, and means for rotating said drum in synchronism to theoperation of said needles.

l5. In a tubular fabric forming machine,

a frame having a guide passage therethrough, a plurality ofreciprocating needles arranged at one side of said frame about saidpassage, each of said needles having. an eye through which a thread isadapted to pass, means for reciprocating said needles, whereby eachsucceeding needle passes through the thread `loop of a preceding needle,a feed drum to which the axis of said passage is tangential and aboutWhich the threads pass through said passage from said needles, means forrotating said drum in synchronism to the operation of said needles, anda reel for receiving the threads from said drum. 1 Y

16. In a tubular fabric forming machine, a frame having a guide passagetherethrough, a plurality of reciprocating needles arranged at one sideof said frame about said passage, each of said needles having an eyethrough which a thread is adapted to pass, means for reciprocating saidneedles, whereby each succeeding needle passes through the thread loopof a preceding needle, a feed drum to which the axis of said passage istangential and about Which the threads pass through said passage fromsaid needles, means for rotating said drum in synchronisi'n to theoperation of said needles, a reel for receiving the threads from saiddrum, and a. slip drive for said reel adapted y to compensate for theAgrowing diameter ask the fabric is Wound thereon.

Signed at Bridgeport in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticutthis 19th day of March A. D. 1925. 1

JOHN E. FEFEL.

